No, Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson doesn't have any trade value

In most cases, a player with the talent of New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson would generate a solid return in a trade.

A two-time Second-Team All-Pro selection, Wilkerson was a hot name on the trade market a couple of years ago, as the Jets contemplated inking their defensive end to a lucrative extension or trading him to the highest bidder. After a 2015 season that resulted in his lone Pro Bowl selection, New York elected to give Wilkerson a five-year, $86 million contract extension with $53 million in guaranteed money.

In hindsight, general manager Mike Maccagnan most likely wishes he traded Wilkerson when he had the chance. He’s been nothing but an unproductive, often-tardy headache for the Jets, a major disappointment after cashing in. There is zero chance Wilkerson is back next season.

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With Wilkerson’s time in New York coming to an end, the Jets have no option other than to release him. Because of his reputation, he has no trade value at this point.

Ever since suffering a broken fibula in the Jets’ final game of 2015, Wilkerson has not been the player that warranted the extension. In the past two seasons, Wilkerson has combined for a total of eight sacks. To put that number in perspective, Wilkerson had 12 sacks in 2015 alone.

Forget about Wilkerson’s declining play on the field, though. The Temple product has done everything in his power to sabotage any value he previously had. Whether it was showing up late for meetings or violating team rules, Wilkerson displayed a clear lack of regard for authority, an issue no team wants to deal with.

No organization is going to have any desire to trade for a player who puts himself before the team, especially a player who is set to be released. The Jets have made their intentions to part ways with Wilkerson crystal clear, so why bother placing a call to talk about a potential trade when teams could just talk to Wilkerson once he is on the open market?

There will certainly be teams interested and willing to take a chance on him once he is a free agent, but it’s a different story when there are strings attached. A wise general manager would not give up anything of value for a player on the verge of free agency.

Don’t be surprised if Maccagnan gets on the phones and tries to work some magic, but it would be unrealistic to expect Wilkerson to end up anywhere other than the open market.

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